McCann Worldgroup Housewarming Party

Malaysia - Global brand marketing and communications group McCann Worldgroup will extend its "truth well told" credo with a fresh perspective through an activities-packed all-day event held at its Malaysia office.

The McCann open house following its move to new offices at Wisma LYL in Petaling Jaya is an opportunity to thank clients, associates, and friends for their continued support - and to introduce the agency's Asian creative hub that offers young Malaysian talents who consistently search for truth from a fresh perspective to showcase their works.

"The open house theme was derived from our organisation's credo, ‘Truth Well Told', our creative philosophy built around communicating the truth about our clients' brands with fresh impetus, based on the energy and value of information gathered through human insights and research intelligence," said Tony Savarimuthu, CEO of McCann Worldgroup Malaysia.

The day's full menu activities include speaker sessions, a showcase of art and photography, a selection of films, and music performances.

"Today, we are confronted with marketing challenges like sustainability, marketability of brands to Generation Y, and navigating the web to reach people in a transparent and meaningful way," adds Savarimuthu. "Consumers can't be fooled with frivolous claims. Our primary job is to advocate the integrity of truth in communications."

For the event, local artist Taquddin Bahro and friends will showcase 50 pieces of art works turning the walls of McCann into a gallery of contemporary paintings. The works of these young artists will adorn the agency's wall space for a week.

"Throughout the year, we hope to offer the same support to more young Malaysian artists," said Worldgroup Deputy Chairman and Executive Creative Director, Lee Szu-Hung.

Renowned photographer Eric Peris and associates will take visitors on a journey of truth, life, and discovery with their collection of stunning photographic stills.

The film series features three of multi-awarded director Yasmin Ahmad's celebrated movies, a special screening of the 2008 Cannes Gold Lions Showcase, and Harold Monfils' "Laya Project" - a musical and visual journey through the folk communities of the tsunami-affected regions of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar and India. Saatchi & Saatchi Executive Creative Director Adrian Miller will present the New Directors show reel featured at the recent Cannes International Advertising Festival.

Fresh perspectives from eminent thought leaders including Karthik Siva, Chairman of the Global Brand Forum; Gary Tay, CEO, Digital Commerce; Jacqueline Ann Surin, award-winning journalist; Abhinav Sharma, Head of Strategic Planning, McCann Erickson; Shebby Singh, ESPN Star Sports commentator; and Premesh Chandran, CEO, Malaysiakini, headline the speaker series.

Entertainment is provided by McCann's own talent pool, the Sharin Band, KLG Sqwad, and well-known recording artiste Sasi the Don, who will be joining Momentum MWG, The Branded Entertainment, Activation and Promotions arm of McCann Worldgroup

"We want to use this opportunity to extend an invitation to young talents to use McCann as a creative hub," says Lee. "We are committed to supporting the Malaysian creative community who promote truth with an innovative viewpoint."

In the past year, McCann has won prestigious international awards for its groundbreaking work for clients and NGOs including Nestle, Proton, DiGi, P.S. the Children, and Global Environment Centre.

"The thrill of executing the next exceptional idea is matchless," Savarimuthu said. "We have a remarkable and dedicated team who subscribe wholeheartedly to the ‘truth well told' credo - which makes our job a lot more exciting and significant."

Among McCann's key clients are Nestle, Sime Darby, Coca-Cola, L'Oreal, UKM, Al-Rajhi Bank, Proton, MasterCard, Suria KLCC and Media Prima Television Networks.